Effect of Bcc Copper Precipitates on the Brittle-Ductile Behavior of Fe-Cu Alloys Fabricated Using Hip

Abstract

An Fe-10Cu alloy was fabricated without internal defects using a powder metallurgy-hot isostatic pressing method to determine the changes in its microstructure and physical properties according to the sintering temperature. In general, the Cu phase in Fe-Cu alloys gives rise to an FCC structure at temperatures below the Cu melting point. However, for the first time, we found that Cu precipitates with a BCC structure larger than 100 nm may occur in an Fe-Cu alloy. Fe-Cu alloys containing BCC Cu precipitates were observed to have completely different brittleness properties from those of typical Fe-Cu alloys with FCC Cu precipitates. The mechanical properties and microstructure of Fe-10Cu alloy were analyzed and compared with those of a general casting specimen.

Keywords: Fe-10Cu, Hot isostatic pressing, BCC Cu, Mechanical properties, precipitation